Final Report: INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT #2397 LE SUEUR-HENDERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS

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1 Final Report: INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT #2397 LE SUEUR-HENDERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS COMMITTEE MEMBERS Linda Omodt JoAnne Gustafson Teri Burdorf Sharon Ronning Jessica Deschneau LaRae Ludwig Betty Olson Megan Schwarz Callie DenHartog Patti Doshan Sue Hynes Grace Steiner Emily Onken Christa Luna Jill Wigert Faith Sohns Mary Grieves Cindy Pope Entire Middle School & High School Staff Elaine Tohal Administrative Support Bill Bjorndahl Elementary Principal Dave Swanberg, Middle School Team Leader Kevin Enerson, High School Principal Edrie Barton, Curriculum Coordinator Dave Johnson, Superintendent of Schools

2 Purpose Develop the best possible curriculum and program plan for Reading & English Language Arts, K-12, in Le Sueur-Henderson schools Study Process 1. Analyze new trends, ideas, and standards in English Language Arts that reflect current research and best practice. 2. Review current research in reading to reach a common understanding prek Analyze data related to reading and language arts to identify strengths and concerns. 4. Analyze current practices as compared to best practice and research. 5. Identify areas of excellence as well as limitations/barriers in current practices. 6. Develop a district Vision, Mission and Goals of the English Language Arts Program. 7. Develop a position paper identifying beliefs and practices for reading in ISD Align our learner outcomes to Minnesota standards and research recommendations. 9. Develop action plans to move from our current status toward our desired goals. 10. Identify usefulness of existing tools to identify struggling readers and related iinterventions. 11. Develop programming that enables talented readers to reach their potential. Nov 3, 2005 Nov 14, 2005 Nov 15, 2005 Nov 22, 2005 Nov 29, 2005 Dec 6, 2005 Dec 13, 2005 Dec 15, 2005 January 2006 Jan 16, 2006 Jan 31, 2006 Feb 2, 2006 Feb 3, 2006 Timeline - Needs discussion with Coontinuous Improvement Council - Brainstorm ideas for study with PMT, SMT, and HMT - Reading PreK-8 Research Review / National Reading Panel - English 9-12 Research, test data, and Selection of Comparison tool - Engish 6-8 Research review and NWEA test result analysis Review of Reading Next Research on MS/HS reading and analysis of MCA & NWEA test results - Reading PreK-8 Draft of Position Paper - English 6-12 program self-assessment with Test Data review - K-6 Grade Level Meetings review and input on position Implementation of content-area reading strategies - K-5 Language Arts self-assessment and test data analysis Follow-Up on Reading Implementaton in content-area - English 6-12 develop Vision, Mission, Recommendations Mar 7, Reading PreK-8 Finalize position, discuss and select K-5 reading program; begin strengths, recommendstions Mar 15 & 27 - Reading PreK-8 (afterschool) Finalize report; begin action plans Mar 20, English 6-12 Finalize report and begin outcome alignment Apr 10, Reading PreK-8 (afterschool) Develop action plans. April 26, PreK-5 all staff Review of new reading program June-Aug Establish written standards and benchmarks 1

3 Table of Contents A. General Program Description: Reading and English Language Arts B. Community Input on Reading and English Language Arts Study C. Data Analysis D. Reading Research Summary E. Current Practice at LSH Compared to National Language Arts Standards F. Works Consulted G. Reading Position Paper for LSH H. Vision, Mission, Goals for English Language Arts at LSH I. Areas of Excellence J. Areas of Concern and Recommendation for Improvement K. Implementation Strategies Appendices I. Position Statement on Reading II. Recommendation for Reading in the Middle School III. Strategies for Reading in Content Areas, 7-12 IV. Test Data Used for Analysis V. Considerations for Selecting Houghton-Mifflin Series 2006 VI. VII. Analysis of Le Sueur Henderson s English Language Arts Program Revised Reading and English Language Arts Learner Outcomes 2

4 A. General Program Description Reading Elementary (K-6) Program Reading and English Language Arts is taught during a 90-minute communications block in grades K-6. The Houghton-Mifflin Reading program, purchased in 1997, has been successful with most of our students. Test scores have consistently improved at the elementary school while this program has been in place. However, as we have investigated our student achievement for subgroups, we realize that resources are needed for specific student support, particularly with our special education and English as a Second Language program. Teachers also recognized early on in our use of the series that students needed more practice with phonics and English Language Arts and have found supplemental materials for teaching these skills. All Minnesota Academic Standards in Reading and Language Arts are taught in our classrooms. Middle School (7-8) Program In the past few years, we have sometimes taught a remedial reading class for those who needed it, in place of a study hall. This class was eliminated in the Fall of This year, the grade level teams have made a concerted effort to use reading comprehension skills and strategies across the curriculum. More teacher time and planning is needed to make this approach to reading instruction effective; however, direct reading instruction would benefit all middle school students. Some Minnesota Academic Standards in reading are taught in depth while others are only touched on due to the amount of time available in 7 th and 8 th grade to teach reading and English language arts. High School (9-12) Program Reading is not taught as a separate program in the high school. However, students need to use reading strategies and skills in all content areas to be successful in our classes. Nearly all the Minnesota Academic Standards are delivered in the literature studies. However, many of the skills are also learned and reinforced in other content areas. In , the middle and high school teachers identified specific strategies they use in their content areas to deliver the reading standards and benchmarks. 3

5 English Language Arts Elementary (K-6) Program English is taught as part of the 90-minute communications block in grades K-6. The content is integrated with the reading program, but Daily Oral Language and phonics are added to provide a more complete program. In addition, many teachers use the old (1990) English textbook to provide skills practice for students. The writing process is presented in the reading program, with each theme s Reading/Writing Workshop focusing on one particular type of writing: narrative, expository, persuasive, fiction, informative, and descriptive. Grades 1-6 teach spelling in conjunction with the stories in reading, spiraling with related word analysis skills studied in English. Research skills begin to be taught in 2 nd grade, with students writing four simple paragraphs about a topic they have studied. By 6 th grade, students are searching, collecting, organizing, presenting and publishing in a written report format. The media specialist works closely with classroom teachers to teach the skills of research. Middle School (7-8) Program The middle school English department consists of English 7 and English 8. Both classes are required and meet every day for approximately fifty minutes. Our focus is to provide students with a broad understanding of written and oral language. The curriculum contains the four domains of Language Arts: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In order to help students gain knowledge in all of these areas, we teach literature, grammar and usage, public speaking, writing, and reading strategies. During this study, we have found that a significant inequity exists between the amount of time spent on Language Arts and Reading in grades K-6 (90 minutes) versus the time allotted to middle school Language Arts and Reading (48 minutes). In order to prepare our students to become successful readers at the high school level and beyond, time should be available for reading instruction at the middle school. High School (9-12) Program All students are required to take four credits of English and a half credit of Public Speaking, which are provided by four full-time teachers. English 9 is a survey course: prose, poetry, drama and thesis-based expository writing are included. English 10 consists of two quarter classes (20 th Century Literature and Practical Composition). 20 th Century Literature is a novels course. Practical Composition focuses on writing including research, organization, voice, and conventions. English 11 focuses on American Literature and refines analytical writing skills. English 12 primarily focuses on Journalism and creates the school newspaper. Nonfiction texts are used almost exclusively. Two college classes are offered (MSU English 11 and MSU English 12) with the curriculum determined in conjunction with Minnesota State University Mankato. Additional opportunities include Theater and Mass Media as electives. During this study, we concluded that journalism was too narrow a focus for English 12 and should be offered instead as a separate elective course. This would allow English 12 to concentrate more on world literature, nonfiction, and writing. Articles for the school newspaper may come from English 12, but would primarily be the responsibility of the elective journalism class. 4

6 B. Input on Reading and English Language Arts Study LSH Management Teams and the Continuous Improvement Council, November 2005 HMT: How do you meet needs of all students talented to strugglers? How are we challenging the talented? Do parents understand why we use the reading logs? What are our reading expectations at grade levels? If students are struggling, what s the solution? Alternate curriculum? Clearly defined expectations? More time? Small groups? We need a plan and a structure. When do we shift from learning to read to reading to learn? Early Childhood involvement. What s the expectation? Who participates? What about kids who don t get any preschool? Consider a partnership between preschool, day care providers and ECFE. PMT: Need shared, common philosophy What kind of extra help is given to those who need help? How can we apply the same basal to twenty students? How can the teacher reach them all? How about flexible ability grouping? Are there problems at the high school? How many students are struggling readers at 7-12? Need specific strategies for specific needs. Parents need to reinforce at home. How? What s the best way? Summer program. Some students need longer learning time, with academic focus. Consider tuition- or grant-based. Does GRASP have any impact? SMT: Daily Oral Language (DOL) is outstanding for language/grammar skills. Test results need to look at the details. Grammar. Is this needing to be taught or is it out of vogue? Reading class for 7-8: If the student is an excellent reader, you have to include challenge levels. Accommodate the span of abilities. Elementary divides them into levels reading groups,. Without good reading skills, students will really struggle with high school courses. CIC: What happens to reading in 7 th and 8 th grade? Consider Caroline Kennedy s program in New York City, working with high school non-readers taught at their own skill level. Identify successful schools with high test scores. As the graduates of the reading program K-6 move into 7 th grade, can we expect them to have increasingly higher test scores? Are the students who are not succeeding lacking the skills (disability) or interest? Concerned about summer loss of learning seen in our test scores. Has Early Literacy changed with technology? How many non-readers do we really have? How do we know? How are we responding to the different skills of technical reading and recreational reading? Parent involvement is so important. What can we do to encourage commitment? What is the Sylvan Learning Strategy? Above all, let s not create non-readers! 5

7 MCA Reading C. Data Analysis Noticeable drop occurs in all strands and subgroups in 7th grade MCA Our Hispanic students are struggling in all strands in 5th and 7th grade. These gaps increase with age of students. Third grade scores are consistently better than any other grade (5 th, 7 th ). Lots of individual support is provided at 3rd grade (Title, small class size, volunteers). If students scored poorly in a strand in 5th grade, it only got worse in 7th grade. Attitudes may change toward doing well on tests as students get older. English Language Arts 6-12 MCA Test results analysis: Hard to isolate the variables that influence scores. If we do something in the classroom, will it influence test results? Do students make the connection? Attitude toward school and self seems to influence performance (Class of 2005 and 2007 did poorly; Class of 2006 did better than average) WRITING: Males and females did equally well, slightly higher scores and percentages for females English Language Arts 6-12 NWEA Language Usage results: 7 th grade is a tough year. Scores are consistently lower than growth target. 7 th through 9 th show little or no growth from Fall to Spring in Capitalization, Grammar Usage, Comp. Processing, Comp. Structure 8 th and 7 th enter (fall scores) at a lower level each year Fall to Spring shows some growth in all categories We are not seeing significant growth from Fall to Spring on NWEA, 6-8; 6 th sees more growth than others. Scores are generally falling from Fall to Fall to Fall COMMENT: We do not see the same drop in skills in the classroom. Not seeing drop in skills from Fall to Fall as test results indicate. English Language Arts K-5: NWEA Test Results: More growth (beyond the expected norm) in primary grades than in high school Composition Structure and Composing Process were weaker than other strands. We need more systematic structure to help students develop these skills common terms and common assessment (rubric). Six Trait Writing program? Is terminology used in NWEA the same as our instruction? Capitalization and Punctuation were stronger, perhaps due to DOL. Probably students are helped by this structure repeated grade to grade. Even though teacher in grades 1-5 are using a mish-mash of English materials and instruction, our students are succeeding. We know what they need to learn and get it done. Consider variables of ages testing, especially 7 th graders. Look at all they have on their plate changing building, hormones, one homeroom teacher to several teachers, less parent communication than in elementary (monthly news and letters). Consider also the lack of instructional time for Language/English and Reading between 6 th (reading, language arts taught for 1 1/2 hr) and 7 th (taught for 45 min). Consider lack of special support (Title, ESL role, SpEd) beginning in 7th grade. 6

8 D. Highlights of the Reading Research Children who fall behind in 1st grade have a one in eight chance of ever catching up to grade level without extraordinary efforts. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of children who were deficient in word-recognition skills in 1st grade were poor readers in the 4th grade. Seventy-four percent (74%) of those who are poor readers in 3rd grade remain poor readers in 9th grade. High school students in the lowest 25 percent of their class are twenty times more likely to drop out than the highest performing students. The National Reading Panel conducted a comprehensive, formal, evidence-based analysis of all the research relevant to judging what is of central importance to teaching children to read. In addition to ongoing teacher education in reading instruction, they identified five components of effective practice in teaching young children to read: 1. Phonemic Awareness knowing and understanding spoken sounds 2. Phonics connecting the spoken sounds to written letters and words 3. Fluency reading aloud with accuracy, speed, and proper expression 4. Vocabulary knowing the meaning of words in the text being read 5. Comprehension understanding, remembering, and communicating about what is read Reading Next. The Alliance for Excellent Education, a national research and advocacy organization, supported by the Carnegie Foundation, gathered a panel of well-known researchers. This group focused on the needs of students after third grade, especially adolescent learners. The group made fifteen recommendations for effective adolescent literacy programs: Nine Recommendations Relate to Instructional Improvement 1. Direct, explicit comprehension instruction 2. Instructional principles embedded in content 3. Motivation and self-directed learning 4. Text-based collaborative learning 5. Strategic tutoring 6. Diverse texts 7. Intensive writing 8. A technology component 9. Ongoing formative assessment of students Six Recommendations Relate to Infrastructural Improvements 1. Extended time for literacy 2. Professional development 3. Ongoing summative assessment of students and programs 4. Teacher teams (Learning Communities) 5. Leadership 6. A comprehensive and coordinated literacy program A multitude of evidence strongly supports the connection between student achievement and the presence of school libraries with qualified media specialists. When library media specialists work with teachers to support learning opportunities with books, computer resources, and more, students learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools without good libraries. Research supports the idea that writing instruction also improves reading comprehension. Professional development should be built into the regular school schedule, with consistent opportunities to learn about new research and practices as well as to implement and reflect upon new ideas. 7

9 E. Current Practice at LSH Compared to National Language Arts Standards Summary of Analysis of Le Sueur Henderson s English Language Arts Program As English teachers at Le Sueur-Henderson School District in comparing ourselves to the standards for English Language Arts developed by the National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE) and International Reading Association (IRA), we were pleased with the strength of our program. When comparing ourselves to the national standard, like English Language Arts teachers everywhere, we encourage the life-long appreciation of reading in every student. Students read a wide variety of genres from various time periods and utilize numerous strategies for comprehension, evaluation, and appreciation. In the area of writing, students write at all levels and for a variety of audiences and purposes. Students are encouraged to recognize that written, spoken, and visual language need to be adjusted for different audiences and different purposes. Teachers are aware of the need to include diversity in the selection of texts; this remains in the forefront of our curriculum planning. Although we do not have a very diverse student population, we are conscious of the need to promote diversity through literature. Comparing ourselves to these national standards caused us to recognize that we need to more overtly label and teach comprehension strategies and use consistent terminology in the teaching of writing. We found the need for clearer scaffolding between courses; therefore, delineation is needed for each course in order to identify specific skills to be mastered at grade/course level. While we have made good use of technology in our classes for research and writing, how to further integrate technology into the classroom and effectively educate students on its appropriate uses is an ongoing discussion with our colleagues. The comparison with the National Language Arts Standards reassured us that our overall program is sound. F. Works Consulted Alliance for Excellent Education. Reading Next: a vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy. New York: Carnegie Corporation, Ash, Gwynne Ellen. Everything Secondary Administrators Need to Know, but Are Afraid to Ask: Understanding Pragmatic Adolescent Literacy Planning. Napierville, IL: Learning Point Associates, December Retrieved September 26, 2005 from Learning Point Web site: Ash, Gwynne Ellen. "Teaching Readers Who Struggle: A Pragmatic Middle School Framework." Retrieved on November 28, 2005 from Reading Online web site: online.org/articles/html Bean, Thomas. Using Young-Adult Literature to Enhance Comprehension in the Content Area. Naperville: Learning Point Associates, Braunger, Jane, and Jan Patricia Lewis. Building a Knowledge Base in Reading. 2nd ed. Newark: International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, Christen, William L. and Thomas J. Murphy. Increasing Comprehension by Activating Prior Knowledge. ERIC Digest. Retrieved Nov 28, 2005 from ERIC website: 8

10 Culham, Ruth. 6+1 Traits of Writing: Primary Grades. 6+1 Traits of Writing: Grades 3 and Up. New York: Scholastic, Cunningham, Drs. Patricia, and Dorothy Hall. "Month-by-Month Phonics." Four Blocks Literacy Model (2003): 7. Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading. Portsmouth: Heinemann, Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), 6 th Ed. Various documents retrieved October 12, 2005 from DIBELS web site: Educational Leadership Magazine: What Research Says About Reading, March 2004, Reading Comprehension October 2005, and Helping Struggling Students, February Fluency Instruction. Washington D.C.: National Institute for Literacy, Retrieved Dec 12, 2005 from The Partnership for Reading Web site: Graves, Anne W. and Jose Luis Alvarado. Teaching Young English Learners to Read: Research From California, Florida, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Remedial and Special Education Journal,July/Aug 2005, Retrieved August 4, 2005 from PRO-ED web site: Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers, "Helping Students Learn Vocabulary Acquisition Skills." Teaching Today Glencoe/McGraw-Hill Company. 21 Dec High School Reading not Challenging Enough, says ACT: Curriculum Changes Require Action by Policymakers and Educators. Minnesota Education News, March Retrieved March 13, 2006 from report,pdf Ivey, Gay and Karen Broaddus. Tailoring the Fit: Reading Instruction and Middle School Readers Reading Teacher, September 2000, Mather, N. Reading Fluency from Learning Disabilities and Challenging Behaviors. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, 2001, Retrieved Dec 12, 2005 from LDOnLine Web site: Meer, Jeff. "Reading more, understanding less - research on speed reading and comprehension." The Psychology of Reading and Language Comprehension (2004): 2. Morrow, Lesley Mandel, Linda B. Gambrell, and Michael Pressley, ed. Best Practices in Literacy Instruction. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford Press, National Reading Panel Report. Teaching Children to Read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Pressley, Michael. "Comprehension Instruction: What Makes Sense Now, What Might Make Sense Soon." Handbook of Reading III (2000): 13. Pressley, Michael, and Ruth Wharton. "Developing Reading Comprehension Through Instruction." NASP Publications.#3 (2005) School Libraries Work! Research Foundation Paper.. Updated 2006 edition. Scholastic Library Publishing. Retrieved February 2, 2006 from Scholastic website: Shanahan, Timothy. The National Reading Panel Report: Practical Advice for Teachers. Naperville, IL: Learning Point Associates, Simmons, Deborah C. Â consumer s Guide to Evaluating a Core Reading Program: Grades K-3 A Critical Elements Analysis. University of Oregon: Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement, March 2003., Retrieved August 20, 2005 from University of Oregon Website: Taylor, Barbara M. Beating the Odds in Teaching All Children to Read. Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) Report, Retrieved on July 17, 2005 from CIERA Website: Walker-Dalhouse, Doris and Derick A. Dalhouse. Development of a literature-based middle school reading program: Insights gained. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, February 1997, Wren, Sebastian. Ten Myths of Reading Instruction. Austin TX: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, Retrieved July 1, 2005 from Southwest Educational Development Laboratory Web site: 9

11 Learning to read requires a curriculum that: G. Reading Position Paper for ISD 2397 Includes five essential instructional components:. Phonemic awareness is the foundation of reading in which students understand that sounds of spoken language work together to make words and spoken words can be broken down into sounds.. Phonics is the relationship between written letters and spoken sounds. Knowing these relationships helps students recognize familiar words and decode new words. Phonics instruction needs to be daily, planned and sequential, until mastered.. Fluency is the ability to read text with accuracy, speed and proper expression. Being a fluent reader enables students to understand what they read.. Vocabulary refers to the words we must know to communicate effectively. Readers must know what most of the words mean before they can understand what they are reading.. Comprehension is the reason for reading. Students must understand, remember and communicate with others about what is read. Comprehension strategies are applied to all types of fiction and nonfiction material. Includes representation of diverse cultures Identifies skills to be assessed at each level Builds skills from year to year through concrete sequential instruction Learning to read requires instruction that: Activates prior knowledge Relies on multiple instructional methods Uses a variety of materials, print and nonprint Accommodates a range of skill levels Allows for different levels of progress in students Encourages teachers to read aloud daily Includes many opportunities for reading such as recreational reading, recorded books, guided reading, and silent reading Provides practice for fluency skills Teaches comprehension strategies in all areas through Grade 12 Learning to read requires assessments that: Monitor student progress on a regular basis Provide teachers with specific information to guide instruction Match a specific learning purpose Identify student needs Report progress to students, teachers, parents and the community Learning to read requires a school system with: Administrators at all levels who support reading through direct involvement Strong library media programs with licensed staff, rich resources and adequate funds. Strong family support through volunteerism at school and participation in reading at home Strategies for educating families to help with reading outside of school Ongoing staff training in current reading strategies and techniques Resources to meet the needs of all students through multiple methods Staff members who believe that learning to read is important at all levels 10

12 How should we apply the research about learning to read in our classrooms? All five components of learning to read must be taught or reinforced prek-12. Learning to read does not end in elementary school. Reading skills grow in depth and complexity through 12 th grade. Strong media programs positively impact student achievement. Differentiated instruction allows teachers to meet learning needs of all students. Student needs drive instruction. Standardized test results help us analyze group success and make decisions about programs and instruction. Frequent and varied assessments enable teachers to adjust instruction in order to motivate students and increase their success. Systemic procedures for curriculum delivery, assessment, and interventions ensure that all children learn to read in their own way, in their own time. Reading is a lifelong skill. What will reading look like at LSH based on research and our beliefs? Curriculum must include: Opportunities for more time spent on reading prek-12 Reading curriculum 6-12 built upon prek-5 curriculum Sensitivity to diverse cultures and different abilities Five instructional components included for all students: Phonemic awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension Instruction must include: Variety of materials and resources based on student needs Specific interventions and enrichment opportunities for readers Collaboration with library media and technology specialists Assessment must include: Frequent assessments of skills mastery Standardized assessments of student achievement Family and community involvement Support for families to encourage reading outside of school Partnership with the community to support readers Teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators and students Ongoing training in reading strategies and techniques Commitment to the belief that every child deserves to learn to read 11

13 H. Vision for English Language Arts at LSH LSH provides a cheerful, warm environment that inspires creativity, sharing of ideas and has the necessary resources for learning. Students have easy access to books, magazines, dictionaries, writing tools and technology. The physical environment allows for different activities in a flexible space and supports student learning by being free of noise and temperature distractions. Visually attractive classrooms are filled with colorful posters and spaces for displaying student work. The English Language Arts curriculum clearly outlines the scope and sequence of each grade and course so that teachers can build upon prior knowledge. Additionally, it includes a variety of print and nonprint materials that are appropriately challenging for every student. By intentionally teaching and using common language terms and common strategies, students will be able to use language for a variety of purposes. A clearly outlined curriculum provides for effective instruction. All instruction begins with solid strategies in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking. In addition, teachers use instructional variety, allowing increased student choice on projects and promoting greater student cognition and empowerment. Teachers encourage excitement about literature and language allowing students to become successful readers, writers and speakers in school and beyond. As a result of English Language Arts instruction, students read for pleasure, become involved in community fine arts events and strive for achievement opportunities. Assessment allows students to monitor their own progress, provides teachers with tools to guide instruction, and reports student achievement to the community. Students demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways such as tests, projects, presentations, and papers. Age-appropriate rubrics with common terminology guide students and teachers toward student success in writing, listening, and speaking. Teachers record progress and communicate strengths and concerns to educators at the next grade level, allowing the skills we assess to grow in complexity as students learn. Student success is celebrated through student portfolios, displays, and community presentations. This combination of environment, curriculum, instruction and assessment results in students who grow as readers, writers, and speakers in and out of the classroom. Mission Teach students to be effective and creative communicators Goals 1. To effectively use our new facilities by placing resources in ideal locations. 2. To create and maintain colorful and visually stimulating classrooms. 3. To maintain the quality and quantity of our resources. 4. To include more opportunities for technology use in our curriculum/instruction. 5. To scaffold the mastery of skills for each grade and course. 6. To develop common language for comprehension and writing strategies. 7. To adopt a common writing program and create writing rubrics with common terminology. 8. To increase communication among teachers regarding student strengths and concerns. 9. To use a variety of assessment tools. 12

14 I. READING: Areas of Excellence 1. Our elementary teachers know how to teach reading and are committed to assuring that every child learns to read. Our middle school and high school teachers have recognized the need for reading-tolearn skills and are moving toward incorporating reading instruction into content areas. 2. Test scores show that our K-3 reading program is successful for nearly all students. Test scores have improved over time at all grade levels. 3. Reading is integrated into other content areas through weekly news magazines, test preparation, and thematic units. 4. Reading is a focus in K-6, with the largest chunk of the day devoted to reading and language arts. 5. Opportunities are offered to encourage older children to pair up with younger children to practice reading skills. 6. Reading is promoted throughout the district: I Love to Read Month at both elementary schools, Silent Reading Days in Middle School Advisee time, K-6 daily read aloud time, reading incentives provided by local business, and various special classroom rewards for reading. 7. Families are involved in the reading program: reading logs in nearly every grade, FOCUS and PIE sponsored Book Fairs, and practice materials sent home regularly, particularly at K The Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) and School Readiness programs are partnering with the district to promote reading readiness. 9. Our ESL and Special Education teachers collaborate with classroom teachers to align instruction to meet individual student needs. 10. Our media centers and media specialists provide a wide variety of books, resources, and programming to support reading in our schools. 11. Volunteers work in the reading area as guest readers, small group leaders, and listeners. 12. Support is provided to struggling readers mostly at the primary level through Title I paraprofessionals, classroom assistants, Fast ForWord, EIR (Early Intervention in Reading), Leveled Readers, LEAP, summer school, SOAR. 13

15 I. English Language Arts: Areas of Excellence 1. Teachers model passion and enjoyment for reading, writing, speaking and listening in order to create positive attitudes in our students toward English/Language Arts. 2. We offer a wide range of literature throughout K-12, including representation of many cultures. 3. We teach genres at all levels. As students mature, we include a greater range of period literature. 4. We emphasize writing for a variety of purposes and audiences at every grade level, elementary through high school. 5. We consistently apply figurative language and elements of genre in student work, grades We intentionally study language diversity, and it is often a subject for class discussion. 7. Teachers value communication; therefore, we provide a plethora of opportunities for student participation in a variety of literacy communities. 14

16 J. READING: Areas of Concern and Recommendations for Improvement CONCERN: Our existing K-6 reading series is lacking some fundamental components that our research indicates are essential for quality reading instruction. Our support programs need materials that are closely aligned to the reading program to enable connections in skill building. RECOMMENDATION #1: Purchase the 2006 Houghton Mifflin reading program for PreK-5 for , with support materials for Special Education, English Language Learners and para support programs, and provide implementation training for staff. RECOMMENDATION #2: Encourage collaboration between all teachers of reading and support programs; identify a systemic intervention system made up of strategies and programs for meeting student needs, including entrance and exit criteria. CONCERN: Data collected over time indicates a significant drop in 7th grade MCA reading and NWEA reading test scores. Less than half as much time is spent in reading and language arts in 7 th and 8 th grade compared to 6th grade. Other middle schools in our area have a 7-8 reading class or a 90- minute language arts block. Reading Licensure Rule requires all teachers at the secondary level (7-12) that teach a reading course to students to hold a Minnesota Reading License as of Fall of RECOMMENDATION #3: By the fall of 2006, create a middle school advisee Book Club program, with all teachers as leaders, using a variety of book sets including non-fiction at selected Lexile levels. Provide planning time with training and support during the summer of RECOMMENDATION #4: By the fall of 2007, implement a Middle School reading (6-8) program, all year for every students. Ensure a close connection to language arts because of the close learning/teaching relationship between reading and writing. CONCERN: Additional training is needed for our teachers in content area reading and writing strategies, particularly at RECOMMENDATION #5: (incorporates English Language Arts Recommendation #3) Include ongoing training in content area reading and writing strategies in our staff development programming, particularly at 7-12, identifying certain reading strategies to overtly teach to allow 7 th through 12 th grade students to become skillful users of those strategies. CONCERN: Our present fluency testing only assesses speed. Fluency (including speed, comprehension, and expression) is not taught in our present reading program. RECOMMENDATION #6: Provide training in the use of the new fluency teaching and testing with new reading series which tests for speed, comprehension and expression, 15

17 CONCERN: Work Sampling assessment for PreK-1 does not align well with skills and concepts needing to be assessed and reported. RECOMMENDATION #7: Create a subgroup of the Reading Team to identify and select a more appropriate assessment tool that meets Federal Requirements for Title funding. CONCERN: Learner outcomes, K-8, should be reviewed and revised to reflect the sequence of instruction in reading and language arts identified in the MN Academic Standards. RECOMMENDATION #8: Set aside time in June for Reading Team, K-8, to review and revise Learner Outcomes. Follow up in with grade level meetings, K-6. CONCERN: Family education with reading support is minimal. RECOMMENDATION #9: Increase family involvement at school through family reading nights, bilingual books in the media center, books on tape, etc. CONCERN: Most of the MN Academic Standards in Reading, 9-12, are delivered through literature studies, but some should be taught and/or reinforced in other content areas. The MN Academic Standards in Research need to be implemented in all content areas where research is done. RECOMMENDATION #10: Implement MN Academic Standards in Reading and Research in all content areas, CONCERN: The status of the Green Card for tracking student indicators in reading has been uncertain, but we need a tool that tracks student progress from grade to grade through middle school. RECOMMENDATION #11: Continue to use the Green Card format until Sagebrush is up and running and the information can be transferred.. 16

18 J. English Language Arts: Areas of Concern and Recommendations for Improvement CONCERN: Given our population, we do not include enough Hispanic literature at the middle and high school. RECOMMENDATION #1: Add more Hispanic literature at the middle and high school as soon as possible. CONCERN: Grammar and usage is taught at all grade levels, but some concepts may be overlooked or overemphasized because we do not have a clear structure of which concepts are taught at each grade level. RECOMMENDATION #2: Identify key grammar and usage concepts to be mastered at each grade level. CONCERN: Although reading strategies are used at 6-12, we need to more overtly label and teach the strategies being used for comprehension. RECOMMENDATION #3: Identify certain reading strategies to overtly teach to allow 7 th through 12 th grade students to become skillful users of those strategies. (This recommendation is included in Reading Recommendation #5) CONCERN: Teachers do not intentionally use uniform terminology in teaching and assessing writing; therefore, students are not as reflective as they could be in determining what makes their own writing better. RECOMMENDATION #4: Adopt uniform terminology for teaching and assessing writing, K-12, such as Six Traits of Writing. CONCERN: While research is done at nearly every grade level, we have not identified a spiral of research skills and expectations. RECOMMENDATION #5: Work with the media specialists to identify research skills, tools, and expectations to be taught and used in English as well as other subject areas where research is done. RECOMMENDATION #6: Create a guide that emphasizes the research approach, plagiarism, and using online citation tools for documentation. CONCERN: English 12 as solely a journalism class does not meet enough MN Academic standards and is too narrowly focused for seniors. We need to offer more World Literature to meet standards. RECOMMENDATION #7: Revise the high school curriculum to include Journalism as an elective and make English 12 a course that incorporates more world texts. CONCERN: Our district learner outcomes need to be updated to clarify current course expectations, given the changes in curriculum due to MN Academic Standards, modifications in high school offerings, and recommendations from this study. RECOMMENDATION #8: Update district learner outcomes to clarify current course expectations and the integration of MN Academic Standards. 17

19 K. Implementation Strategies FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #1: Purchase the 2006 Houghton Mifflin reading program for PreK-5 for , with support materials for Special Education, English Language Learners and para support programs, and provide implementation training for staff. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Committee & E. Barton Purchase Houghton Mifflin Series and resources for ESFE/School Readiness and K-5 classrooms, SpEd, ELL s, and Title programs. ($35,000 w/shpg plus $21000 support) Initial Inservice Introduce series to all ECFE/School Readiness staff and K-5 certified and classified staff E Barton April 26, :30-4:30 Determine ordering needs Committee April 26, 4:30-5:00 Have kits for classrooms before last day Grade levels meet to plan implementation of series and to collaborate with SpEd & ELL staff. 8 hrs per teacher. 12 hours per SpEd teacher (with 3 gr lev) and 18 hours for ELL teacher (6 gr lev) Each team sets their hours and notifies E. Barton Ongoing support and consultation with the Houghton Mifflin Rep E. Barton/ HM Rep Committee, E. Barton, B. Bjorndahl B. Bjorndahl, E. Barton May 2006 Up to $56,000 (Curriculum Budget + Elem consumables) June July or August 06 Curriculum pay/hourly rate for one hour ($1700) from Title II Curriculum pay for committee; $6500 from Title II or combine some of the hours with preschool inservice Included with purchase FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #2: Encourage collaboration between all teachers of reading and support programs; identify a systemic intervention system made up of strategies and programs for meeting student needs, including entrance and exit criteria. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Include collaboration time with the summer See Rec #1 implementation planning time. Include collaboration time with support staff during staff inservice days before school B. Bjorndahl August 06 None or possibly hours for support staff Use every 4 th Wednesday s meeting time for B. Bjorndahl none Reading Support during the school year. Create a task force with reps from each grade level, Special Education, and ESL to identify the interventions and criteria in place to respond to student needs. Identify additional tools needed. Clarify entrance/exit criteria. Link to NWEA and other fall assessment results. Publish the Systemic Intervention System for all staff, K-5 (include in staff Handbook) B. Bjorndahl and Leadership Team B. Bjorndahl Fall of time none 18

20 FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #3: By the fall of 2006, create a middle school advisee Book Club program, with all teachers as leaders, using a variety of book sets including non-fiction at selected Lexile levels. Provide planning time with training and support during the summer of Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Obtain administrative approval and support E. Barton May 2006 none Book Club training for middle school teams. Invite Emily Onken, Jill Wigert, TOSA, or an outside practitioner (MSUM or other district). L Ludwig, C DenHartog Summer 06 $25/hr cost from MS Staff Dev t Develop program and discuss its implementation. Include at least 4 books per year per student (at least one club a quarter). Choose selection of book titles at three levels of difficulty (3 each: low, average, high) for each grade. Purchase 9 selections, 6 copies each, for each classroom (10 classrooms). Include shelving for a centralized location. 7-8 teams Summer team subgroup 7-8 team subgroup Summer 2006 Summer 2006 Launch Book Clubs in Advisee 3 days/week 7-8 teams Fall 2006 none $25/hr cost (MS Staff Dev) $25/hr cost (MS Staff Dev) $ (Curric Funds) FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #4: By the fall of 2007, implement a Middle School reading (6-8) program, all year for every students. Ensure a close connection to language arts because of the close learning/teaching relationship between reading and writing. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Hire a licensed reading teacher School Board and Administration Spring 2007 for $45,000-$48,000 (General Fund) Study and review available Middle School Reading Curriculum Recommend purchase of materials for reading class Include reading teacher as part of the interdisciplinary teams at the middle level 6-8 Lang Arts staff, E. Barton 6-8 Reading/ Lang Arts team, E.Barton none February teachers Summer & Fall 2007 $18,000 in curric funds none FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #5: (incorporates English Language Arts Recommendation #3) Include ongoing training in content area reading and writing strategies in our staff development programming, particularly at grades 7-12, identifying certain reading strategies to overtly teach to allow 7 th through 12 th grade students to become skillful users of those strategies. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation 7-12 English June 2006 $25/hr curric Language Curric Hrs rate (Title II) Arts teachers Identify 5-6 key reading strategies to use, 7-12, across all curricular areas (i.e., SQ3R, KWL, questioning, etc.) Train all 7-12 staff on the 5-6 key reading strategies All 7-12 teachers Fall 2006 (pre-school inservice) Time / trainers $ 19

21 Recommendation #5: continued (incorporates English Language Arts Recommendation #3) Review key reading strategies throughout the year, sharing examples of how strategies have been used in classes. Develop a plan for training 7-12 staff on the Six Trait Writing model (SEE English Language Arts Recommendation #4) Train all staff on Six Traits Writing model for teaching and assessing writing. All 7-12 Teachers L Ludwig, C. DenHartog, J. Wigert, G. Steiner Same as above During faculty meetings June 2006 Curric Hours school year time $25/hr curric rate (Title II) time FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #6: Provide training in the use of the new fluency teaching and testing with new reading series which tests for speed, comprehension and expression. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation K-5 Reading Team; include all K-5 staff Request and schedule inservice by H.M consultant on how to teach and test fluency. Preschool Inservice Time or 2 hrs paid time in Sept $3400 if outside the day hours; or include in Late Start or Pre- School Inservice FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #7: Create a subgroup of the Reading Team to identify and select a more appropriate assessment tool that meets Federal Requirements for Title funding. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation S. Ronning, 1/2 day; Sub costs L. Omodt, M. afternoon (District Staff Sunderman, J. Apr 21 or Development) Gustafson, B. May 12 Bjorndahl Meet with B. Bjorndahl to look at NWEA K-1 tool and others (DIBELS) for suitability and appropriateness Select tool for K-12 assessment and provide training for staff in use and analysis. B. Bjorndahl and K-1 staff Sept 2006 If cost, up to $2000 in curric funds FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #8: Set aside time in June for Reading Team, K-8, to review and revise Learner Outcomes. Follow up in meetings with grade levels, K-6. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Provide up to 9 hours per K-5 rep to meet in June to review and revise Learner Outcomes. K-5 Lit Team, E.Barton June Park LMC $1350 (Title II 05-06) Include 6-8 revision time in English Language Arts Curriculum Time in June. (See English Language Arts Recommendation #8.) 6-12 English Lang Arts, E. Barton June 8, June 15 (Title 05-06) Review with K-6 grade levels during 1/2 grade level release in E. Barton, K-6 teams $1800 (Title II 06-07) 20

22 FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #9: Increase family involvement at school through family reading nights, bilingual books in the media center, books on tape, etc. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Christa Spring 2006 Elementary: Ask SET to include this committee in the sign up list; request representation from Hilltop and Park. We provide a description and suggestions, such as: Add Tips on Reading to grade level newsletters or online through Centerpoint (one a week). Partner with ECFE Super Saturday. Send a summer calendar of suggestions. Invite whole school to participate in the Title One family night. Focus one night on reading. Provide food for all. Middle School: Include this in the middle school summer retreat agenda. Add Tips on Reading to grade level newsletters (i.e., 7 th ) or online through Centerpoint (one a week). Display new reading materials during preschool conferences (K-5, Middle School) Edrie, Diane Anderson Tap into existing resources, Title III Title I; plus another source for supplies $1000 LaRae June 2006 none All K-5, MS teachers Aug 2006 FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #10: Implement MN Academic Standards in Reading and Research in all content areas, Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Identify strategies for delivery of 9-12 reading standards and benchmarks in every content area. E. Barton, HS Staff Jan 06 Inservice done Revisit plans for using strategies for delivery of reading standards and benchmarks; report out on progress in content areas Identify strategies for delivery of research standards and benchmarks in every content areas, 9-12 (same format as reading standards in 05-06) Revisit plans for using strategies for delivery of reading standards and benchmarks; report out on progress in content areas HS Staff Led by Eng Lang Arts Staff, HS staff HS Staff Feb 06 Late Start Late Start Late Start none done time time FOCUS: Reading Recommendation #11: Continue to use the Green Card format until Sagebrush is up and running and the information can be transferred. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Ensure that every teacher has a copy of the Green Card (on regular paper if necessary) for every student. Place extra Green Cards in the office for new students. Ensure that the Green Card information is included in Sagebrush Find Green Cards for students who have entered 7 th grade. S. Ronning and F. Sohns Spring 2006 S. Ronning Fall 2006 and F.Sohns F. Sohns Spring 2006 L. Ludwig Spring 2006 none none none none 21

23 FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #1: Add more Hispanic literature at the middle and high school as soon as possible. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Include Hispanic Literature in the selection of Book Club resources at 7 & Selection Team Summer 2006 Included in Book Club $ Add a novel or short story collection with Hispanic connections to High School classes G. Steiner, C. Pope Summer 2006 $350 in curric funds FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #2: Identify key grammar and usage concepts to be mastered at each grade level. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Begin at 7-12, backmapping from what graduates need to what should be accomplished at each 7-12 English Department school year Department meeting time grade level. members Finalize 7-12 list during June curriculum writing time and publish for the K-6 team English Department June 06 $25/hr curric rate (Title II) Continue backmapping with K-6 Language Arts K-6 Language June 06 $25/hr curric team, beginning in June 2006 Follow up with K-6 grade level team meetings in Arts Team E. Barton, Grade level reps rate (Title II) Subs for releasing grade levels FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #3: Identify certain reading strategies to overtly teach, 7-12, to allow students to become skillful users of those strategies. (This recommendation is included in the action plan for Reading Recommendation #5). FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #4: Adopt uniform terminology for teaching and assessing writing, K-12, such as Six Traits of Writing. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation? Jill Potts Fall 2006, Cost of 1 st Late Presenter Start Provide refresher overview of the Six Traits Model for grades K-6 Request that teachers who have previously attended Six Traits Training for the District serve as resources for their grade level teams. Send 6-8 English Language Arts teachers to a 2- day August workshop on Six Traits in the Middle School. Find a Six Traits Workshop (HS focused) and send 2 HS English Language Arts teachers to Follow up with 7-12 Staff training see recommendation #5 in reading Trained K-5 teachers T. Burdorf, L, Ludwig, C. DenHartog C. Pope and new teacher school year August 2006 none Registration $289=$867) + mileage. St. Dev funds Registration, sub, & mileage (St.Dev. funds) 22

24 FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #5: Work with the media specialists to identify research skills, tools, and expectations to be taught and used in English as well as other subject areas where research is done. K-5: Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation 6-8: 9-12: Work on this before training 9-12 staff reading recommendation #10 FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #6: Create a guide that emphasizes the research approach, plagiarism, and using online citation tools for documentation. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #7: Revise the high school curriculum to include Journalism as an elective and make English 12 a course that incorporates more world texts. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation Provide written rationale to administration for J. Wigert, January none change. English Dept Secure approval for change. Principal Feb 06 none Work with department to select resources J. Wigert, Mar-Apr None Dept 2006 Secure funds to purchase appropriate text English Dept, E. Barton Spring 2006 $ curric funds FOCUS: English Language Arts Recommendation #8: Update district learner outcomes to clarify current course expectations and the integration of MN Academic Standards. Actions Who Timeline Cost/Source Evaluation English March-June Part of Language 2006 curriculum Arts Team study Identify changes necessitated by the MN Academic Standards Implementation study ADD 9th grade Compare/Contrast, Analogies. ADD more drama to 20th Century or 12th grade ADD paired reading. 11th loaded with MN Academic Standards Provide up to 8 hours per 6-12 rep to meet in June to review and revise Learner Outcomes (K-5 included in Reading Recommendation #8) 6-12 Team, E. Barton June 8 & 15 Park LMC Secure Board approval of revised curriculum. E. Barton By Feb 07 none $25/hr curric rate (Title II) 23

25 INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT #2397 LE SUEUR-HENDERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS I. Position Statement on Reading II. Recommendation for Reading in the Middle School III. Implementation Strategies for Reading in Content Areas, 7-12 IV. Test Data Used for Analysis V. Considerations for Selecting Houghton-Mifflin Series 2006 VI. VII. Analysis of Le Sueur Henderson s English Language Arts Program Revised Reading and English Language Arts Learner Outcomes

26 1

27 Appendix I. Position Statement on Reading (tri-fold brochure to be available in each site s office for parent/community information) 2

28 3